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Politics : Stockman Scott's Political Debate Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Cactus Jack who wrote (26996)	9/4/2003 1:25:50 PM
From: Jim Willie CB	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 89467

I dont pay any attention to Slider anymore he is loud and obnoxious when correct and nonexistent when incorrect a bad combination on the human interest side I prefer to be consistently boorish, obnoxious, but helpful and generous at least people know where I stand / jim <G>

To: Cactus Jack who wrote (26996)	9/21/2003 7:35:47 PM
From: stockman_scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 89467

jpg: The Cubs are doing quite well late in the season...Yet, they could use a little help when your Giants play Houston this week...;-) ________________________________ Prior picks up win in Pittsburgh By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com chicago.cubs.mlb.com PITTSBURGH -- There's something about Mark Prior that is different from other big-league pitchers and it's not just his giant-sized calves. "When he gets in trouble, he really reaches deep and he has something to reach to," Chicago Cubs manager Dusty Baker said of the 23-year-old right-hander. Prior reached for it Sunday, striking out 14 to power the Cubs to a much-needed 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in front of 21,497 non-football fans at PNC Park. Prior (17-6) notched his seventh double-digit strikeout game this season and helped the team establish a Major League record for Ks. Even more important, the Cubs are a half-game behind NL Central Division leader Houston, which lost Sunday to St. Louis. The Cubs have Monday off while the Astros open a three-game series against NL West winner San Francisco. "We needed this very badly," Baker said of the win. All the Cubs needed was Prior. The right-hander is 9-1 since Aug. 5 and has given up 12 earned runs over 76 innings in those 10 games for a 1.42 ERA. On Sunday, he held the Pirates to six hits over 7 2/3 innings, and at one point retired 15 in a row. The only blemish was an RBI single by Tike Redman with two out in the eighth. Prior also helped the Cubs rewrite the record books. The Chicago pitching staff has struck out a Major League-record 1,352 hitters this year, topping the old mark of 1,344 set by the 2001 Cubs. The only other staffs in big-league history to surpass 1,300 Ks in a season are the 2002 Cubs (1,333) and the 2002 Arizona Diamondbacks (1,303). "We can get better, too," Baker said. "That's one of the reasons I came here was because of the potential this staff had. We add a couple guys here and there and we can be even better." Prior showed his stuff in the Pirates second. Craig Wilson tripled to lead off and then Prior struck out the next two batters and got Abraham Nunez to pop up and end the inning. "That run could've sparked their offense," Prior said of the Pirates. "I didn't expect to get out of it as well as I did, but I was happy and I think it gave us some momentum for the rest of the game." "When he gets in trouble," Baker said, "he really reaches deep and he has something to reach to. After that triple, we were hoping strike out and then another strike out and then a pop up. He pitches according to the situation. He's very good at pitching to what he needs. "For his age, he's one of the best pitchers I've seen at pitching to the situation," Baker said. "Usually that's what veteran pitchers do. Instead of trying to get this guy out and that guy out, (Prior) has an idea and a plan on what he wants to do." Even veterans like Mike Remlinger are dazzled by Prior's poise. This is his second season. "For him to be doing what he's doing at his age, it's phenomenal and more than anything, it's the consistency, emotionally and performance-wise," Remlinger said. "To go out there and not get too high and not get too low -- you hear it all the time, but it's difficult to do for everybody. And to do it with that amount of experience that he has is unbelievable." Aramis Ramirez backed Prior with a pair of homers and drove in three runs against his former team. Acquired from the Pirates on July 22, Ramirez hit an RBI single in the first, a solo homer in the third and another blast in the sixth for his seventh career multi-homer game. He raised his home run total to 26 and his season RBI total to 102. "I've played with these guys for a long time and now I'm playing against them," Ramirez said of the Pirates. "It's kind of funny when you're out there facing the guys you used to play with. At the same time, you want to get the job done." Remlinger did just that in the eighth. The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs against Prior, who exited. Remlinger struck out pinch-hitter Jose Hernandez to end the inning and Joe Borowski then pitched the ninth for his 32nd save, and 13th in a row. But the story was Prior. "He's tough," Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson said. "I think he's the best pitcher that I've ever faced and quite possibly the best pitcher in the big leagues. He's going to be successful for a long time." "He comes at you," Bucs outfielder Tike Redman said. "He doesn't care if you are Barry Bonds or Ken Griffey. His fastball just jumps on you and he has a good curveball. He kept us basically just guessing. His team needed the win and he stepped up." Prior said he has ignored the team's precarious position in the standings. Sunday was just another game. "You have to keep it as simple as possible," he said. "You can only worry about what you're doing. We can't control what's around us or what's going on. We just have to win our games and concentrate on what we have to do and play smart baseball." The Cubs have six games to go and Prior will get one more start. Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.